Talk:Stevens Pass

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The page read more like a ski resort brochure than something about a mountain pass, so I reduced the information about the Stevens Pass Ski Area, which would be great on a page about the ski area, but is only tangentially related to the mountain pass, especially bits about how you can find lodging in Leavenworth. That belongs on a page about the ski resort. I took it off the category on ski places, since we're talking about a mountain pass here not a ski slope, and added a geography category and stub. I realize it can be confusing since the ski resort and the pass share the same name, but they are really two different things.

Also, is the pass really named after John Frank Stevens? I always thought it was named after Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory. Also, even though the page on John Frank Stevens says he discovered Stevens Pass in, apparently, the 1890s, I find that hard to believe. Isaac Stevens was sending out railroad survey teams in the 1850s. I'll check later when I have more time.

Finally, this page could use more information about the pass's history (building of the railroad and tunnels for example), its geography (mountains nearby and headwaters of rivers for example), and less on how many chair lifts there are and where to find a hotel. Just saying. Pfly 18:56, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

It was indeed named for John F. Stevens according to several sources. 8th Ohio Volunteers 14:36, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Better picture

Rather than the sign, I think it would be much better to include a picture of the pass and surrounding mountains in winter. It's a very beautiful place. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.57.220.63 (talk) 17:03, 23 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] 57 such passes

This article states that Stevens Pass is one of 57 significant key saddles in the contiguous United States but does not say what is significant about them. What is this list of 57 significant key saddles? I'm guessing it may be that it is a key saddle for one of the 57 ultra-prominence peaks (i.e. peeks with a prominence peaks grater than 5,000 ft.). Is this what is being referred to? -- Patleahy 05:10, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

See Key saddle. CASCADIA^Howl/_Trail 13:27, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

That article does not mention the 57 special key saddles mentioned in this article. All peeks (except Mount Everest) have an associated key saddle. What's significant about Stevens Pass and the other 56? -- Patleahy 17:36, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, according to the Stevens Pass article, it's significance is that the pass is also the key saddle. There are passes and there are key saddles, but from the entry, apparently there are few others in the US that are both. Where this information was obtained, I'm not sure, as there is no inline citation. CASCADIA^Howl/_Trail 17:47, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I didn't understand that from my reading of the text. I don't believe you can say this fact "is a manifestation of its importance in Pacific Northwest geography." The position of a key saddle is often very distance from the mountains associated with it and therefore whether a pass is also a key saddle does not appear to me to be significant.

I find it incredible that only 57 passes are also key saddles so I am putting a fact template. -- Patleahy 19:59, 4 May 2007 (UTC)